Street Fighter 6 features customisable ‘A New Challenger’ screens

‘Tell ’em I’m fackin’ coming’

We are less than 24 hours out from the launch of the Street Fighter 6 beta, and developer Capcom is taking this short period before the chaos kicks off to fill us in on some of the small, but awesome features heading toward its pugilistic sequel — Submitted for your approval: customizable challenger screens.

The legendary “Here Comes a New Challenger” screen is a staple of the Street Fighter series, popping up whenever somebody dropped in a quarter and slapped the 2P start button, giving you that sinking feeling that the solo fun you had been enjoying was, in fact, coming to an end. Well, we may not be standing abreast in the arcade anymore, but the famous screen lives still — Smashing into your world during an in-depth lab session, or simply when just twiddling your thumbs in the lobby.

Here comes a new challenger! ????

In #StreetFighter6, you can customize the challenge screen by choosing and combining character portraits, effects, and effect colors to spice up your online matches. pic.twitter.com/x4vgvt5oOt

— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) October 5, 2022

The Street Fighter 6 edition, however, has a brand new vibe, allowing players to choose from any number of character portraits, special effects, animated backgrounds, and color schemes — Ensuring that you smash into your opponent’s world in style. As a feature I didn’t know I wanted until I got it, it’s pretty darn funky, and just one more cherry on Capcom’s delicious-looking Street Fighter 6 cake. I especially like the SSF2-style portraits for the newer characters.

Of course, despite my starry-eyed worship, I’m very much “feet on the ground”, fully aware that this is Capcom’s game to lose. It only takes dreadful marketing, an awful delivery style, the addition of NFTs, or all manner of other negatron effects to bring it all crashing down. For now, Street Fighter 6 looks fab, plays fab, and is packed out with features, modes, and options that were sorely missing from its predecessor.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Stay the course, Capcom. You can’t blow this now… surely?

The Street Fighter 6 closed beta kicks off tomorrow. It appears that most invites have now been delivered. In the meantime, take a look at our thoughts on the current build, the sequel’s great accessibility options, the ranked mode changes, and our list of Do’s and Do Not Do’s.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse